Exterior decks are commonly found connected to a building. Decks, and especially those connected to residential homes, are commonly made of wood. They typically have a flat surface and are often elevated from the ground. A fascia board may be present either on the edge or below the surface of a deck and may run horizontally along a substantial portion of the perimeter of the deck. For safety purposes, the deck may also be fully or partially enclosed by railing. The railing is typically supported by a number of spaced posts that are attached to the deck. The railing and posts are also commonly made of wood.
One method of attaching the posts to the deck is to attach the bases of the posts to the face of the fascia board through a metal bracket. For attachment of posts that are along the sides of the deck, such a bracket typically has a horizontal flat surface (for attachment of the bases of the posts) and a vertical flat surface (for attachment to the face of the fascia board). For attachment of posts that are at the corners of the deck, such a bracket typically has a horizontal flat surface (again for attachment of the bases of the posts) and a vertical L-shaped surface. This vertical L-shaped surface allows the bracket to be attached to the two adjoining faces of the fascia board that make up the corner of the deck. Actual attachment of the bracket to the posts and fascia board is typically accomplished using wood screws.
However, conventional metal brackets suffer from a number of shortcomings. As the brackets are typically exposed to the elements (such as rain or snow), corrosion near the area of attachment of the wood screws to the metal brackets may occur. This could result in failure of the attachment and consequently, unexpected detachment of the post from the fascia board. There is therefore a need for a bracket that may effectively connect a deck post to the face of a fascia board while at the same time, resisting the effects of the elements.